Deplorable Passion For Guns

As anticipated, the gun debate in the United States is back on the front burner. The first initiative is to ban high-capacity magazines. Why they would even allow ordinary citizens to possess that type of firing capability is beyond comprehension. Even though Americans are not likely to ever give up their right to own a gun, it is time the law is changed to restrict both the type of weapons as well as the number of them that citizens should be allowed to have. Currently, the civilian population in the United States has 270,000,000 guns in their hands or 88.8 per 100 people while war torn Afghanistan has 4.6 per 100 people. Go figure that one!

Until Americans temper their craving for guns with a dose of common sense, change will probably only occur around the periphery of the problem. It has been estimated that there are as many as 1000 homicides a month in the U.S attributable to firearms. You have to wonder why nothing much has changed over the years. The calls for change that inevitably come loud and demanding following a massacre usually fade away. Perhaps this time the latest massacre will be the turning point. Unfortunately, many of us will have our reservations.